Bike funding argument

for the cyclist who doesn't quite yet have everything...

http://www.carbonfibergear.com/direct/carbon-fiber-toilet-seat

I got my medical insurance to pay for my "orthopedic assistance" = the new Di2. We all know how smooth it is and how it started on road bikes and then TT and now Cross bikes but I thought it would be helpful for people with hand injuries, limited movement or those with prescriptions from shady doctors.

I just got my wife a puppy - she's pretty happy right now, but it doesn't help the bank account.

My religion prevents me from paying retail but there are times you have to man-up 'cause you get what you pay for. EBay and the online shops have their place but I always make sure I buy enough at my LBS, that sponsors my team, so that they consider me a good customer. This has probably saved me a lot over time and certainly helped me get hard to find parts or first dibs on the new hard to get stuff.

I left out, get hook up with Euro Team Mechanic! Did I ever tell you guys the year I got to shop at the Spain Bike distributor in Vittoria Spain? Ogh my, like a kid in a candy store... I still get flash backs, talk about rock bottom prices for the stuff you see on the pro riders bikes!

Ditto on E-Bay, rock bottom prices, of course you need to shop and bid which can be a pain at times. Be patient and wait out the UK rock bottom on-line retailers for sales, they send out newsletters. Give up on any USA based on-line or other retailer giving you any decent deal unless you like rock bottom quality items (cough cough, Performance), unless you are a bike shop employee or owner, or are on a semi-decent team/club, then only get the sponsored items not the fluff. Get a hook up with a shop owner who can get things at cost and you pony up a bonus for them, for whole-sale but never 10-20% off retail, you can do better than that!

Other hints I've learned, buy the same color bike so spouse is none the wiser, did she really know the brand (keeping your mouth shut would help, don't name it or refer to it by brand). Hide new bike at friends house till its safe, make sure friend rides a much different size bike so they don't take it for test rides.

looks hoooooooooott. any chance they'll be available for purchase for those not on the team?? figured i may as well ask.

I agree, but I have no contact info for Sal.

Sal is racing in Belgium on the team of Erwin Vervecken!

It would be cool for him to have a journal on NYVelocity like Wiswell had.

pretty cool that three people in NYC with full-time jobs recently went PRO. that's unique.

Don't forget, Joao was working full-time, with 2 kids, during his two years with Bissell. Now he is 100% comitted to training & racing, so he will be at the least, a very competent domestique and hopefully stand on, or near a podium spot.
Don't underestimate Joao's cycling ability.

Guy has talent and as far as getting called up to the next level, he has better results last year than Jaoa. You could make a better argument for him going to Cervelo (age, potential, recent results). I think Neil B has a real shot at getting some big results in NRC crit circuit in th future. As for Jaoa, I wish I had such an opportunity, but I think he is being brought on more as an ambassador of the team at big events. Look for him to be hosting big TOC, Giro and TDF parties and not slogging bottles for Sastre. Maybe Cervelo wants to be voted bike of the year by Bicycling Mag for once.

could be. but he'll have fun anyway. i'm curious to see how he does in the hilly road races. he lost 15 pounds apparently but what of his sprint?

i think falls in to the class of "age Maker" for d3 teams they need a few young guys on the roster so old dudes like Myerson can race

that fgx needs ability to calculate shipping rates on their website. too much fluff & marketing mumbo jumbo. i could give a rat's ass about a carbon calculator. for example, i want to know how much it'll cost to ship a specific box size to europe, asia, etc. that's all i care about. every other shipping serivce, usps, fed ex, ups offers that. pass that comment along to 'em, would ya? i'll switch personal as well as business to them in a heartbeat if they are in fact cheaper and offer as much tracking info as the other big shippers.

Please support companies that support us, use FGX instead.

who gives a shit why, how, or when he got there...the dude's riding for a pro team and just might be having fun doing it, no matter how long it lasts or what exactly he does for them.

now crawl back in your cubby pie hole and analyze your powerdouche data, weeping over the fact that despite your online coaching and intervals up river road, you still suck.

Good for him, I wonder what's behind that..I mean the guy is older for a pro cyclist and he really didnt' do anything on Bissell. If you look at it he's really not a Pro-Tour caliber rider, do they just sign him with minimal salary and use him for some other purpose?

ok, so now i know why, when i last rode with joao in the park, he was riding a shiny new cervelo.

that's awesome that he's on cervelo tt now.

Has a nice interview with Sal. Good stuff on that other site.

That article on Neil in Velonews was written by another local boy--Way to go Dan! Nice article and its cool to see it get picked up by VN.

awesome stuff. good choice.

Andy, I am happy you used FedEx not the other guys. They deliver don't they? :)

Can't a man have dreams? You probably kick puppies when you pass them in the street.

SICX on the homepage.

Shameless plug: This is our first year with Garneau. Got proofs and color swatches fedex'd within a week, and they delivered within their claimed 2 1/2 week turnaround. Stuff looks fantastic.

guys like Bezdek and Joao have shiteloads of talent to go with their training discipline. That's why they're pros now. No revenge to be had.

please ignore the new bike in the garage. It's for a 'friend' I'm just going to ride it for a year or so.

Good for Correia...gives hope to the rest of us desk jockeys who regularly get their asses kicked by 20 somethings with trust funds and no jobs.

I shall have my revenge this season!

Capo riders around SF are posers. They never race unless they're on the bridge.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/31/health/nutrition/31fitness.html?hpw

CAPO makes nice fitting, good riding cycling kits and the team gets a discount for bulk buying. The price per garment is going to be almost half to 2/3 depending on the item, then what you would pay individually... so I stock up in the off season.

http://velonews.competitor.com/2009/12/news/neil-bezdek-has-gone-from-bi...

He did not do much on Bissell in terms of results. Now he is on Cervelo. Cool stuff. However it makes me wonder how/why super talented younger riders cant break through.

What an awesome story! It should be fun and inspiring to see him in action this year.

Very for real.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/correia-joins-cervelo-testteam

ebay using the PayPal slush fund account. that, plus common sense: making sure I spend time with her also and get her random "stuff" that she wants also on a regular basis. as long as I keep her happily distracted I'm able to move all kinds of bike gear in and out of the house without attracting attention. (the happier she is, the less attention my activities attract.)

the happier they are, the blinder they get. the crankier they are, the more detail oriented they get.

whatever suits you. I love rapha and assos but am currently fed up with their mail order fraudery and will not buy from them till they get it. Old school and current stock till then!!

primal wear. accept no substitute.

don't be cheap, the best way is to allow your partner the same spending budget on what he/she likes.

on kits, those plain black or white kits show no imagination. Like a wannabe fashionista trying to look cool while they just blend into the background. Have some guts, try a bit harder, life is not a funeral, what if all artists painted only in black?

Those kits are FUGLY

I dont mind the price of kits if they are ok looking and fit right. My issues have been that in the past the team clothing is either so ugly I dont even want to wear it outside of a race or the make does not fit well. I would gladly spend more $$ on a Rapha kit than a busy less expensive Champ Sys kit since I actually would enjoy wearing the Rapha gear in training and racing and the fit is good.

for every hour spent beyond 3 hours away from family on the weekend rides, my wife beats me. and i like it. it's the price of freedom.

I'm interested to find out how each team deals with cost of kit. I know some give entire kits to the team but that's all they get from sponsors. Some teams get discount at bike shop and kit at cost. A few get race entry fees and jerseys. What are your real costs for racing?

tell her the team dues are really high but in exchange you get a lot of gear for free.

i find the expenses to be way way less in the off-season

oooooh, new BH/GARNEU kits!

i've been secretly stealing money from my ex for years.

win-win.

definitely ebay and secret fund. the less she knows the better